The Last Of Us Remastered Review

“Well… is that everything you hoped for?… The Jury’s still out, but man… you can’t deny that view.”

What’s up everybody, welcome to Geek Ireland’s review of Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us – Remastered” on the Playstation 4. The game is the eagerly awaited PS4 port of last year’s Smash Hit PS3 Exclusive, with updated visuals and improved frame-rate, with all current DLC packaged in as well. It was the pinnacle of the PS3 era, and as far as this gamer was concerned, the perfect end to the last generation of games.

As stories go, The Last of Us is certainly up there as having one of the best narrative experiences of any game in the last number of years. You play as Joel, a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race has been all but decimated by a fungal virus that turned them into zombie-like creatures. Joel has to transport a girl, Ellie, across the terrain of a broken down and weathered United States to get to a safe house with her intact.

The narrative is excellent and the story is weighty, the lead voice actors, Troy Baker, & Ashley Johnson, lend amazing authenticity and emotional weight in their performances of Joel & Ellie respectively.

Joel is a character that I did find I could get behind and become invested in heavily and that is certainly a testament to the direction of Neil Druckmann, the Game’s lead writer and Creative Director and to the acting ability of Troy Baker, bringing the character to vivid life on screen.

The interplay with the characters is excellent and offers great depth to the story

There have been comparisons made between this game and the novel ‘The Road’ and certainly, they are incredibly similar, evoking that same despondent and desolate feeling of a world torn apart while also helping you feel for the protagonists on their personal journey.

Included in this edition of the game is the single-player DLC, ‘Left Behind‘, which details the story of Ellie & her friend Riley, set before the events of the main game. The story is told by flashback so to those who think that they can just play this first and then the main campaign will be left scratching their heads as the story will be told out of context to the rest of the game. You have been warned! This DLC is an excellent addition to the narrative for those who are looking to find out more about Ellie and her life before the outbreak. Left Behind is also a follow on to the excellent mini-series comic that’s also written by Neil Druckmann.

The game was amazing looking on the PS3, and it’s no surprise that the same can be said of the Remastered Edition. With the added memory available from the PS4, Naughty Dog have outdone themselves again. The game is easily one of, if not the best looking games available right now on the PS4, with smooth 60 fps frame rate helping to make the scenes pop with vivid colour palettes and styles throughout. If the extra frame rate is a bit too much for you, there is an option for the frame rate to be locked at 30 fps.

Combat is fluid and intense

One of the excellent additions to this edition of the game is the new Camera Mode. This addition allows players to mess around in the world, taking photos of whatever they see on screen as they are playing. The mode has a lot of options for you to play around with as you set up your perfect shot to be shared amongst your friends.

With Camera Mode you can manipulate the game image to create your own beautiful shots

One of the most delightful aspects of the game was the gorgeous and engaging soundtrack from Academy Award winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla. It is quite understated at times and never threatens to overpower the narrative or the gameplay.

As mentioned before, the game is running at 1080p at 60 fps, making the game look gorgeous but it adds an extra layer of smoothness during combat too. It’s nice to see the shooting controls move to the more concave Dualshock 4 (DS4) triggers, which for those first person shooter types, can be a big plus, however, you can map the controls to follow the same scheme as the PS3 version of the game. Using the large track-pad of the DS4 felt intuitive for the crafting menu, and the same tension from having to choose between increasing your health or making stronger shivs for combat is still there too.

Taking time to choose what skills to upgrade is a pain on your first playthrough with scarce supplies

The game is not without it’s flaws however where NPC AI is concerned. The NPCs are sometimes an inconvenience and can at times cause your carefully worked stealth be blown, whereas other times they are incredibly helpful and intelligent and chip in during combat. Overall though, I was able to overlook this as I was so deeply enamoured by the experience of the game and the story of Joel & Ellie.

Verdict

The Last of Us Remastered is no different in terms of story and core gameplay from the PS3 version of the game, and that is not a bad thing. The Last of Us re-defined what it means for games to be taken as a true art form, the story, the workmanship, everything is all geared to creating a truly evocative experience.

The sheer wealth of options available in this package is amazing value for money, the DLC, the increased resolution and framerate, and to top that off, there’s a day one patch that also includes the excellent ‘Grounded‘ Documentary, detailing the creation of the game included as well. For people who have yet to play the game, this is a must have purchase and is something that deserves to be experienced.

So, tell us what you all think of the game! Will you buy it or have you already gotten it? Tell us what you think and sound off in the comments below or you can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for all your Geek Needs! If you ever want to follow me, I’m on the Twitter, here.

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About The Author

Hey! I'm Tom, lover of comics, video games and all things geeky or nerdy! I came to Geek Ireland in 2014 professing a love for Batman & Solid Snake. I enjoy the exchange of ideas and opinions of a verbal nature while arguing with my co-hosts on Press G to Start. I also like hugs...

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Gaelcon, Ireland's Premier Games Convention, takes over the Ballsbridge Hotel from October 27th-30th for another full weekend of gaming goodness. Featuring everything from RPGs and LARPs to War Games and

Event Details

Gaelcon, Ireland’s Premier Games Convention, takes over the Ballsbridge Hotel from October 27th-30th for another full weekend of gaming goodness. Featuring everything from RPGs and LARPs to War Games and Board Games there’s sure to be something for everyone at this years convention.

Both Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Heresy will feature over the weekend, while a full timetable for RPGs and LARPs can be found at www.gaelcon.com.

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You and up to three friends will band together to take on our weird and wacky array of photo-challenges as you scramble across the city on a strange sightseeing tour

Event Details

You and up to three friends will band together to take on our weird and wacky array of photo-challenges as you scramble across the city on a strange sightseeing tour of Dublin’s oft-overlooked marvels.

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RAID 2018 is a gaming event, by gamers, for gamers. Offering BYOC LAN tournaments, video game concerts, talks from industry professionals and much more, we're banking on this being the best

Event Details

RAID 2018 is a gaming event, by gamers, for gamers. Offering BYOC LAN tournaments, video game concerts, talks from industry professionals and much more, we’re banking on this being the best gaming event in Ireland during 2018!

Location

Organizer

Event Details

RAID 2018 is a gaming event, by gamers, for gamers. Offering BYOC LAN tournaments, video game concerts, talks from industry professionals and much more, we're banking on this being the best

Event Details

RAID 2018 is a gaming event, by gamers, for gamers. Offering BYOC LAN tournaments, video game concerts, talks from industry professionals and much more, we’re banking on this being the best gaming event in Ireland during 2018!